One of difficulties parents have in choosing safe toys for small children is that oftentimes toys which are considered safe are later discovered to have toxic materials in them. Parents look for toys that they can allow their child to enjoy, with confidence that the child will not be harmed by the chemicals used to apply a finish to the toy, as oftentimes children put toys directly into their mouth. Particularly for small children, it is important that the toy not have any small pieces that can be accidentally swallowed by the child. In addition, the toy must appeal to the child. Wooden toys and partially one-piece wooden toys in the shape of trucks or cars often have appeal to small children. If the wooden toys are left unfinished with no protective coating, the wood soon absorbs soil and dirt and becomes unsightly as well as unsanitary. If the toys are finished, the paints and finishes used on toys may contain toxic materials.
The present invention provides a toy with a safe coating of a non-toxic edible material commonly used with foodstuffs. The present invention also provides a method of coating a wooden toy with a non-toxic surface finish while simultaneously providing a smooth clean finish to the toy so that the toy is less susceptible to collecting dirt and bacteria. By using a non-toxic material such as paraffin that has a long history in the use of preserving jellies and jams, one is assured that the coating is non-toxic. Because the paraffin is cold coated on the surface of the toy by impingement of the paraffin particles onto the surfaces of the wood toy, one can provide an in situ protective coating to the wooden toy so that when the toy is removed from a vibrator bin it requires no further finishing. The toy is now in a ready-to-play with condition. In addition, as the toy or the paraffin does not have to be heated to apply the coating, one is ensured that the toy and the paraffin retain their chemical integrity. Thus, the present invention not only provides a safe toy by using non-toxic materials such as paraffin and food coloring, but provides a cold coating process. In addition, the time needed to finish the toy is drastically reduced as the toy can be removed from a vibrator bin in a ready-to-play with condition with the toy having an impinged covering of paraffin that provides a sheen to the surface of the toy and makes the toy less susceptible to having dirt becoming absorbed in the wood.